Thursday, December 28, 2017

I cant believe I am writing this. I have no choice. I didnt think it was possible. I found the prequels to be an incredible disappointment, but now that I can reflect back on the prequels versus what Disney has created, I think the prequels are better. Why? Here's an example why. From what is considered one of the worst SW movies, comes a scene which no Disney-hack could ever write:

When I saw this scene in AOTC, I wanted to cry with joy. It's perfect. IT IS EXACTLY what Star Wars is about. It is exactly what George Lucas was trying to show us. Lucas was creating a morality all of us could follow. This is what made Star Wars so special. SW is deeper than typical sci-fi. It's deeper than just about anything ever put on the big screen. Lucas is helping to explain why we even exist.

Lucas is explaining why Jedi behave the way they behave. He is perhaps explaining how we all should behave. Is he correct? Maybe not, but dang, at least he is trying. At least he is giving SW depth and meaning. In The Last Jedi, Luke didnt come anywhere close to explaining this kind of stuff to Rey, and Luke certainly knew the morality of the jedi.

Attachment is forbidden...why? Because attachment leads to fear of losing something. We know how the rest goes...fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. Attachment is the path to ruin. The path to the dark side. Possession is merely attachment to a physical entity. Disney is incapable of writing this kind of depth; of understanding morality and humanity is at the core of Star Wars. I want to cry, and it certainly isnt out of joy.

Sunday, December 17, 2017

On December 14th, 2017...mark it down...Disney ruined Star Wars. The stuff that takes place in The Last Jedi (TLJ) has literally rendered the first-six Star Wars movies meaningless. Disney is wandering in the woods with the new SW movies.

Lucas wrote awful dialog and directed awful acting for the prequels, but at least the plot and story of the prequels felt like Star Wars. Lucas kept his universe together, and stayed true to his characters. The Force Awakens (TFA) and especially TLJ dont feel like Star Wars movies. Disney has either killed or rendered moot all the OT characters. TFA and TLJ are just trash space-opera flicks. Neither are SW films.

Lucas was creating a mythology: Disney threw that out the window.

Lucas gave us a morality play of light vs dark and why each existed: Disney simply doesnt want to bother with that kind of depth.

Lucas made characters which would last generations. Is there a SW character Disney has created which anyone will remember 50 years from now?

Disney creates so much hype, and and has so much clout in the the industry, that their SW films suffer from a "honeymoon effect." Critics dont want to give the Disney SW films a bad review, for fear of suffering the wrath of the Disney juggernaut (and if you dont believe Disney will take revenge against the media, ask the LA Times earlier this year how Disney treats those who attack the Mouse.) Fans who see the movie before it opens wont admit to themselves that the Disney SW films stink, because these fans are emotionally and financially invested in Disney's SW films....to admit the Disney SW films stink right after you view one is to admit you have committed an error devoting yourself to these films. Everyone has an ego.

An example to help prove my point: TFA was at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes a few days after it opened (which is where TLJ currently sits. Hmmm. Makes you wonder if that is a coincidence...) Most fans enjoyed TFA. Six month after TFA opened, fans began admitting to themselves and others that TFA is not a great movie. Critics began admitting to the faults of TFA. A year from now, we will know how the culture truly feels about TLJ, and it wont be a positive vibe. My guess is TLJ will be seen as the worst of the Disney films, and about the same quality as Attack of the Clones, which is bad. Real bad. TFA is at 88% approval with people who have actually seen the movie. TLJ? 55% approval with movie-goers. Yikes. Certainly not what Disney was hoping for. Repeat box office business for TLJ shall suffer. Bad word of mouth has already effected the Saturday and Sunday BO take for TLJ.

What Disney and Rian Johnson did to Luke Skywalker is unforgivable. I get angrier and angrier the more I think about how Luke's potential was not only wasted, but ruined the legacy of arguably the greatest movie hero in cinematic history. George Lucas has to be livid. A few days ago, when Lucas finished watching TLJ, he said to a reporter TLJ was "beautifully filmed" and walked away. A backhanded compliment if there ever was one.

Luke was pro-active. Luke faced his fears and his demons. Lucas clearly wanted Luke to be a hero. So what does Disney do with Luke? He stays on a freakin' island the whole film, and even when we thinks he leaves the island, its just a mirage. Then Luke commits suicide alone on the island. Unreal. If you dont feel betrayed by Disney after watching episode 8, then you dont truly understand Star Wars. I cant find a way any true SW fan could accept this film. It's honestly beyond me.

Disney will keep making bad SW films as long as we keep giving Disney our hard-earned cash. Send Disney a message. Dont see TLJ, or if you have already seen it, dont see it again. Encourage others to not waste their money seeing TLJ.

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Finally, some solid news on Star Wars, Episode 7:http://screenrant.com/star-wars-episode-7-official-cast-image/So, what characters are these new actors playing? My speculation could be way, way off, but I am going to give my two cents anyhow:John Boyega: Luke Skywalker's apprentice, and the co-lead of the younger actors.Daisy Ridley: The daughter of Solo and Leia. the other co-lead of the younger actors.Adam Driver: The young baddie. Either a Sith or dark jedi. He will be around for all three movies.Oscar Isaac: A new republic officer or a rogue-ish type scoundrel who tries to sweep Daisy off her feet.Andy Serkis: The comedic alien. Not childish like Jar Jar. All CGI.Domhnall Gleeson: The spitting image of an SS-officer. He will be a young, cunning Imperial officer who is around for all three movies. A Thrawn-like character, but definitely not Thrawn.Max Von Sydow: An old, wise, Imperial officer who survived the Battle of Endor and wants revenge against the New Republic. He finds Driver and re-gathers the imperial fleet. I suspect Sydow dies at the end of SW7 in the same way Cushing died in episode 4. Sydow is 85 years old. You do not cast an 85 year old man to appear in a new trilogy.Prediction #1: Either Hamill or Ford dies in SW7, at hands of Driver. I think it's more likely to be Ford than Hamill. I think Ford has the biggest part of the three original cast members in SW7, so his death at the hands of Driver will really make movie-goers hate Driver, which is what Disney really wants, and needs.Prediction #2: The plot of the three new movies will have two main stories. The first follows Boyega, the second follows Ridley, much in the same way the plots of the original series follow Luke and Han/Leia.Prediction #3: No twins, which I would not have predicted a year ago. I dont see any possible twins in this cast. It doesnt fit. Clearly Ridley would have to be one of the twins, so who is the other? There is no other in this cast list.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

- I almost didn't post my 2012 Oscar picks. Tough to motivate myself this year. We are well into the 21st century, yet a black and white, silent movie is going to win most of the major awards. My picks:

Best Picture: The ArtistBest Director: Michel HazanaviciusBest Actor: Jean Dujardin. Clooney won a few years ago for Syriana. The academy prefers actors who stretch, and play difficult roles. Clooney is simply playing himself in The Descendants.Best Actress: Viola Davis. Last night over dinner, the son of a friend of mine explained to all of us that the Academy award voters are mostly old white guys. This is correct, however the voting academy is still one of the most politically-correct entities on the planet. Davis wins.Best Supporting Actor: Christopher Plummer. Plummer for best supporting actor, and The Artist for best picture, are the two locks of the night.Best Supporting Actress: Octavia Spencer. See Best Actress